Tag: Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo’s guide to improving American soccer

In a recent interview, NYCFC midfielder Andrea Pirlo offered his views on youth development in the United States and how that impacts the quality of play at the professional level.

From Reuters:

“What I’m talking about is actually a system or culture. I don’t mean that the level of technical skills are low. I just mean there is a cultural void that needs to be filled,” Pirlo told Reuters at an MLS promotional event in Manhattan.

The Italian, who turned 37 on Thursday, said Americans who play soccer at college are already behind in terms of their development when compared with European peers. […]

“[In Europe] they pick them and they train them in much more than just running,” he said. “They train them in stopping the ball. Here that doesn’t happen.

“So when a young man becomes a professional in the United States he still has some gaps that need to be filled when playing on the field.”

As far as his personal U.S. experience, Pirlo said he has adjusted to the new environment and found the level of play quite physical, which he attributed to how players evolve in the U.S. system.

“It’s a very hard league to play in. It’s very physical, there’s a lot of running. So there is a lot of physical work and to me, in my mind, too little play,” said Pirlo.

So how would Pirlo fix these systematic issues? Here are his steps to developing a more cultured game…

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Dr. Strangeleague or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the aging superstar in MLS

Anyone who has ever had a disparaging nickname knows how hard it can be to shake. For MLS, it’s the label of being a retirement league. That phrase has burrowed deep under the skin of the league and its supporters, forcing new signing who fit that stereotype to declare their intentions to actually try upon arrival.

Perhaps because of this, Americans have developed a compulsion for rushing to criticize aged stars from other lands who don’t immediately perform well once they join the league. As if condemning a well known player will magically rid MLS of the irrelevant yet somehow still hurtful “retirement league” tag or unquestionably prove that the level of play in the U.S. surpasses the expectations of its doubters.

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Andrea Pirlo disappointed with the quality of shampoo in the U.S.

Andrea Pirlo was voted as having the best hair on NYCFC, which naturally warranted an interview conducted by teammate Mikey Lopez. This interview presented a chance to see that Pirlo’s English has reached the point where he is now able to disparage the quality of shampoo in the United States.

Usually when players go to MLS from other parts of the world, they are quick to highlight the quality of life as a major reason for their move, but this warning about the substandard shampoo could prompt other Serie A stars to stay away.

If MLS commissioner Don Garber wants to fulfill his promise of making the league one of the best in the world, he’s going to have to do something about this shampoo situation.

Andrea Pirlo once again proves that his doubters will be punished

Andrea Pirlo is a wizard and he has the beard to prove it. We all know this. One of his mystical powers is the ability to predict the future — particularly what direction opposing players will shoot from the penalty spot or free kicks. Sadly, NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders is a doubter of Pirlo’s powers and he paid for it during their 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire to start the new MLS season.

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LA Galaxy parody NYCFC’s greasy Villa, Pirlo, and Lampard photoshoot

(Lyle Ashton Harris/NYMag.com)
(Lyle Ashton Harris/NYMag.com)

The LA Galaxy will host New York City FC this Sunday, so to prepare for the match, they decided to make fun of their fellow aging European talent collectors.

NYCFC gave the Galaxy plenty to work with by allowing their big three — David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, and Poku Frank Lampard — to be photographed wearing white tank tops and looking greasy by New York Magazine for some reason. So the Galaxy recreated this shoot with Dan Gargan, Alan Gordon, and Nacho Maganto.

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